Sixth form students from Shireland CBSO Academy experienced a day of professional insight and live performance earlier this month during an educational visit to the CBSO Centre and Symphony Hall in Birmingham. The visit was designed to broaden understanding of careers in the music and wider creative industries.
The visit began at the CBSO Centre, where students took part in a programme of careers talks led by professionals from across the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO). Sessions highlighted the diversity of roles within a major orchestral organisation, spanning performance, production, education and administration. Students also completed a practical CV workshop focused on developing skills relevant to future employment in the creative sector.
In the afternoon, the group attended a live orchestral performance at Symphony Hall, fully funded by the CBSO as part of its ongoing commitment to youth engagement and music education. The experience provided students with direct exposure to world-class performance in one of the UK’s leading concert venues.
The CBSO, known as Birmingham’s orchestra, works across the city and wider West Midlands, delivering performances and learning programmes designed to build lifelong engagement with music. Through concerts, school partnerships and youth ensembles, the orchestra reaches more than 170,000 people each year.
Jo Lawrence, Head of Sixth Form at Shireland CBSO Academy, said: “Our sixth form provision is built around sustained exposure to industry professionals and real working environments. It gives students meaningful opportunities to test their interests against the realities of the workplace, helping them make confident, well-informed decisions about their next steps after post-16 study. Our partnership with the CBSO is structured to support exactly that, enabling students to understand what different careers involve and to consider whether those pathways are the right fit for them.”
Shireland CBSO Academy was established through a unique partnership between Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust and the CBSO, combining the Trust’s academic excellence with the orchestra’s internationally recognised musical expertise.
The academic rigour provided by the Trust is combined with the musical prowess of the CBSO. The orchestra presents over 150 concerts every year around the world and regularly collaborates with internationally renowned musicians, many of whom visit the Academy to perform and lead masterclasses with pupils.
In addition, students learn about and experience the organisation which surrounds the orchestra, from education and enrichment to sound and engineering, and from orchestration and conducting to logistics and travel. This unique partnership provides students with exceptional opportunities to gain real industry experience.
The Academy is committed to working closely with cultural organisations to provide high-quality learning experiences that enrich its curriculum and support student development. This helps ensure learners leave with the knowledge, skills and confidence required for successful futures in their chosen pathways.
Applications for year 12 entry in September 2026 are now open via Applicaa, the Academy’s online admissions system. Further details about Shireland CBSO Sixth Form and how to apply are available on the Academy website.
